Sweetheart, Darling, Baby
by Luna Darkside
Summary: "So Kaito had never really been an easily flustered type of person. Nothing embarrassed him. But - as usual - Kudou Shinichi was the only exception." - In which Shinichi has a penchant for pet names and Kaito has no chill. /ShinKai & KaiShin, oneshot, complete/


_I'm going to apologize in advance for how haphazardly written this turned out. I'm actually working on some original fiction at the moment, so this was thrown together in, like, two hours. Yeah. Sorry._

 _Warnings include shonen-ai, grammar mistakes / general errors, Shinichi being gross and flirty, Kaito being confused and generally precious, etc. Shinichi got a bit out of hand, to be honest. But. Well. We all need flirty!Shinichi in our lives._

 _For clarification, this is set several years into the future. Shinichi and Kaito are ~20 years old and on friendly terms. Yeah._

 _Er… enjoy! – Luna_

 **Sweetheart, Darling, Baby**

So Kaito had never really been an easily flustered type of person. His brazen skirt-flipping tendencies back in high school, after all, had led to his being christened an "enemy of all women," (at least according to Aoko), and he performed dangerous heists that were broadcasted nationwide and had earned him recognition as a talented magician (and insufferable criminal, depending on who you asked). He had taken down his own miniature crime organization, even. Any way you sliced it, he wasn't exactly a blushing schoolgirl. Nothing embarrassed him.

But - as usual - Kudou Shinichi was the only exception.

It started out innocently enough. Or – more accurately – as innocently as anything involving both Shinichi and Kaito could (which meant not very innocently, but).

Kaito was dressed up as Kid and hanging from the upper observation deck of Bell Tree Tower over the brightly lit city. He was also reconsidering his lowering-himself-to-the-ground-with-a-camouflaged-harness plan, considering Nakamori and a good portion of the Kid task force were practically salivating at the bottom of the building as they waited for him to come down. The rest of the task force was on its way to the observation deck. And the wind patterns were alarmingly erratic.

He was halfway through working out the logistics of trying to open his hang glider against the wind and getting away like that – his calculations weren't exactly working in his favor; most of his mental trials were ending in death or capture – when a voice, muffled by the susurration of the wind, called from overhead, "How's everything going, Kid?"

Swearing a little, because this was _just_ what Kaito needed when he was stranded at the top of a skyscraper, Kaito pasted on a smile and turned to nod genially up at Kudou Shinichi, or at least where he might have been had Kaito been able to see him. "Oh, you know, tantei-kun." He pointed down towards where his pant legs were flapping in the wind and the city loomed beneath his feet. "Just… hanging in there."

There was a moment of silence.

"Well," Shinichi said, distinctly unimpressed, "I _was_ going to call a truce for the night and help you back onto the observation deck before the task force gets here, but now I'm reconsidering."

"Please don't leave me out here, tantei-kun, I'll do anything, have I told you how pretty you are, because you're really, really pretty, I'll be your best friend," Kaito – well, he would've liked to think that he hadn't begged, because that would be shameful and all together depressing, but, to be honest… there may have been a pleading edge to his tone. A _slight_ edge.

An awkward pause (that almost sounded embarrassed, but maybe it was just Kaito), and then Shinichi clicked his tongue, disapproving, before Kaito felt himself being hoisted upward unceremoniously by the straps on his harness. He smiled broadly once Shinichi came into view, throwing his arms out wide for a hug as his feet landed on the floor of the observation deck. "Tantei-kun, my favorite detective! Have I told you how much I love you, angel?"

Breeze brushing hair into his eyes and bright-cheeked from the cold – Kaito hadn't been lying when he said Shinichi was pretty (and he did sort of love him, but that was neither here nor there) – Shinichi took a disgruntled step backwards. "I'm going to say no on the hug, _darling_ ," Shinichi stated blandly, though his voice dropped into a half-seductive, half-saccharine lilt on that last endearment.

It made Kaito stop in his scrabbling at getting the harness off as he twitched at the appellation, feeling blood suffuse his cheeks. Sure, he had been the one to start the mock flirting, but he hadn't expected Shinichi to actually _follow along_. Kudou Shinichi was intimidating enough on the best of days, and Kudou Shinichi using pet names as wind blew through his hair and his nose turned steadily pinker in the cold was probably illegal in several countries.

"Uh," Kaito finally mumbled after a too-long pause, showcasing his brilliant eloquence. Shinichi looked suitably unimpressed.

The moment was broken by the far-off patter of approaching footsteps. Kaito hastily finished shucking the harness as Shinichi leaned against the railing of the observation deck, watching him casually.

"Better luck next time, Kid," he smirked, and Kaito sighed at him just as the doors to the observation deck burst open and about twenty-five or so officers swarmed into the room.

"Good night to you too, tantei-kun," he called before deploying every can of sleeping gas in his arsenal and beating a quick retreat through an air duct.

Later, Kaito forgot entirely about the whole pet name debacle as he threw a tantrum over the highly uncalled for _Kaitou Kid's Magic Fail!_ and _Is Kid Losing His Touch?_ stories on almost every news channel in Japan. Seriously, he hadn't failed _that_ badly, even if he hadn't been able to execute his originally planned trick. It had just been a, er, miscalculation.

The pet names thing didn't show up again until several weeks later, when Kaito found himself being persistently hit on while in disguise at one of the Suzuki Corporation's ridiculously overblown galas. He had only come to do some preliminary mapping of the venue – a newly opened art gallery in Haidou – in case it became a heist location in the future. He hadn't even picked a particularly attractive disguise – he was dressed as a tall, rail-thin brunette in a conservative gray dress. Objectively speaking, he was among the less eye-catching of the party's attendees.

And yet somehow, less than an hour into the party, he found himself crowded up against a wall by a stocky, hiccupping, middle-aged man with a terrible haircut and alcohol on his breath.

"Why, hello there," the man leered, exhaling the scent of vodka all over Kaito, who coughed exaggeratedly. "You're looking nice tonight. Veery nice indeed. What's your name, eh?"

"Tanaka," Kaito answered shortly, barely bothering to disguise his voice as he tried to find a way to get around the man that didn't involve throwing him into a wall (and thereby causing a scene, which would not be good for his secret identity). "Could you move, please? I have somewhere else I'd much rather be."

"Oh, c'mon, now. What's the hurry?" The man took a step closer. Kaito flinched backwards until his head hit the wall.

"I _really_ don't have time for this," Kaito gritted out, his voice dropping to its usual register. He hoped it would be a deterrent, considering he sounded very much male and very much uninterested.

Unfortunately, the man just grinned all the more. "You're gonna put up a little fight, are you?" He laughed loudly. People were starting to stare, though none of them made any attempt to rescue Kaito. "Well, that's all right. I like 'em feisty."

Kaito was contemplating inconspicuously spraying him in the face with sleeping gas – although it would blow his cover, he really didn't have any choice if the man wouldn't leave – when a hand landed solidly on his shoulder, making Kaito almost squawk in surprise, and then he was suddenly staring up into Kudou Shinichi's face.

"I've been looking for you, sweetheart!" Shinichi chirped, and _whoa_ , okay, Kaito felt himself turning bright red. Thankfully under the latex mask, but still. _Sweetheart_? And Kaito had thought _darling_ was bad.

The man frowned at Shinichi, who was carefully ignoring him. Kaito watched as he appeared to struggle between irritation and awe at the sight of Shinichi's expensive bespoke suit and deep crimson bow tie, understandably so. With his well-cut silhouette and drop-dead gorgeous face and neat, styled hair, Shinichi looked like the kind of person one wrote sonnets and poetry about, or possible dragged into bathroom stalls for less than holy reasons.

"What, you're with her?" the man finally grumbled, starting to turn away.

Shinichi continued to pay him no attention. One of his hands reached up to trace the sharp line of Kaito's elbow. Kaito tried not to shiver too noticeably. "Oh, honey, I thought something terrible must've happened to you while I was gone," he cooed. The smile he cast down at Kaito was positively shit-eating. Kaito tried not to scowl at him. He tried even harder not to spontaneously combust at the _honey_. God.

Snorting, the man rolled his eyes and stalked off. "She could've said she was taken," he grunted, swiping at his mouth as he went.

Once he was out of sight, Kaito threw Shinichi's hand off of him with a groan. "Was that really necessary?" he muttered, adjusting his mask over his burning cheeks. It was beginning to chafe, probably because Kaito was sweating, for some reason.

"Of course it was, Kid," Shinichi said, somehow managing to be simultaneously placating and infuriating. Mostly infuriating, though.

Kaito glared; he was about three hundred percent sure Shinichi was grinning. He wasn't wrong, as he discovered when he glanced over to see Shinichi smirking in the most irritating of manners. Huffing with indignation, Kaito crossed his arms over his chest. "How did you even know it was me?"

"Sonoko – Adviser Jirokichi's niece, if you recall," Shinichi answered. "When you walked by, she said she didn't recognize you, which I thought was strange, since she didn't comment on anyone else. So I followed you out here, and when you stopped using your disguised voice at the end there, it was pretty obvious it was you." His grin widened. _"Kid."_

"How impressive of you." Kaito sighed.

"Not so much impressive as observant." Shinichi leaned against the wall at a perfect twenty-four degree angle, adjusting the collar of his shirt like some kind of supermodel. Kaito absolutely hated him. He wished his cheeks would cooperate with his hate – generally, hatred didn't make you blush like a preteen girl.

He was so focused on the whole blushing fiasco that he almost missed Shinichi's question. "So why are you even here?" Shinichi was asking as Kaito blinked and looked over.

"Just some preliminary scouting, I guess," Kaito answered with a shrug. He toyed with the hem of his dress, mostly for something to do with his hands. "In case I ever have to plan a heist at this place."

Shinichi did this humming thing that conveyed several things at once, none of which Kaito could decipher perfectly. "I see." He turned to raise his eyebrows at Kaito, who, caught off guard, almost took a step back. "And you couldn't even fend off some old man by yourself?"

"He was persistent," Kaito felt compelled to argue, though he was painfully aware that he sounded more whiny than logical. He waved a hand emphatically. "And I didn't even want to make a scene."

"Really." Shinichi didn't sound convinced, but he let it slide. He pushed off from the wall a moment later, straightening to brush off his suit. "I'd better go find Sonoko and the others now. Oh, and Kid," he added, almost as an afterthought. "No offense to your disguising ability, but you look much better as yourself." He paused, probably to enjoy the sight of Kaito gaping at him like a deranged wombat.

"That's… very offensive, actually," Kaito eventually managed, tossing his head haughtily. "All women are beautiful goddesses, even if they're just a disguise."

"But never as beautiful as you, _gorgeous_ ," Shinichi teased, because he was a cheeky little shit who liked to see Kaito go into anaphylactic shock from his stupid pet names. He saluted Kaito before striding off in a manner that brought to mind runways and high fashion.

Kaito had to run to the bathroom, pull off his mask, and splash cold water on his face after all that.

It was at that point that Kaito recognized that he might have a slight problem. But, as he was terrible at handling feelings and anything relating to Kudou Shinichi, he repressed it into the far reaches of his brain, in the same place he stored memories of fish and Aoko's wrath.

And that worked out, until Kaito ran into Shinichi in a café. As himself.

He was minding his own business, playing a mindless game of Tetris on his phone as he idly sipped at his watery takeout cup of tea, when a pair of unfamiliar hands descended before his eyes and a voice sang, "Guess who," from directly behind him.

"Oh my God," Kaito muttered, dropping his phone in his lap. Not entirely on purpose, even. Because that was Shinichi's voice, Shinichi was _here_ , in this tiny café three blocks from Kaito's house, and he clearly recognized Kaito, otherwise he wouldn't have come over and done something so mind-bogglingly, stupidly endearing. He tried to calm his breathing – Shinichi would most definitely pick up on it if he started hyperventilating. "Tantei-kun."

"You got it on the first try, too. Impressive, Kid," Shinichi's voice said, and the hands receded, leaving Kaito to bend his head back and blink at Shinichi upside down like a demented owl.

"Fancy meeting you in a place like this," Kaito remarked, lifting an eyebrow. Shinichi had a distressingly symmetrical face, he noted. He was still agonizingly pretty upside down. "Why are you even out here? Isn't this kind of far from Beika?"

"I see you remember where I live," Shinichi grinned. Kaito rolled his eyes. "I'm out here to visit a witness for a bus hijacking case that happened around here. I thought I'd stop in here for something to drink before that." He shrugged. "And then I came in here and saw you, Kuroba."

Flinching, Kaito turned around in his chair to gawp at Shinichi properly. "I suppose if I ask how you figured out my name, you'll just give me some complicated explanation about how the placement of my phone and the way my hair falls makes it obvious."

"I could," Shinichi agreed, and then smirked. "Or I could just remind you that your name's written on your cup." He motioned at where Kaito's cup of tea sat, his name indeed scribbled crookedly across one side of it.

Kaito rolled his eyes, raking a hand through his hair. "Or that, I guess."

"I could still bullshit some complicated reasoning if that'll make you feel better about yourself, sweet pea," Shinichi smirked, and Kaito abruptly turned back around. He could feel his face heating up. _Sweet pea_. Good _God_. Shinichi was absolutely trying to kill him.

"So anyway," Shinichi continued on, oblivious to Kaito's attempts at redirecting blood away from his cheeks, "I'd really better be going, but it was great talking to you, Kuroba."

"Kaito," Kaito corrected, and took far too much pleasure in the way Shinichi's eyebrows jolted upwards in surprise. He grinned. "Kuroba Kaito. That's my name."

"Oh," Shinichi said a second too late, wearing an expression that brought to mind deer and headlights. He cleared his throat. "Uh. O – Okay. Kaito."

"See you, tantei-kun," Kaito sang in response, watching the tips of Shinichi's ears turn luminous red as he stumbled towards the door. It was nice to see Shinichi getting flustered for a change.

Then Shinichi had to ruin it by looking back over his shoulder, still flushed, and stutter, "Uh – right, er – see you, sugar," and proceed to nearly brain himself on the door as he left. Kaito didn't notice; he was too busy trying to keep his face from igniting. _Sugar_. What even _was_ that. Why was he _blushing_.

It was then that Kaito decided he had a legitimate problem.

Of course, even if acceptance was the first step to dealing with the issue, there wasn't anything else Kaito could really do after that. What was he supposed to do, grab Shinichi and demand he call Kaito sickening pet names until Kaito was conditioned to them? No. Definitely not. Shinichi did _not_ need to find out about this, ever.

And then, because the universe hated Kaito with a burning passion, Shinichi found out about it a week or so later.

Kaito just pulled off a heist – a spectacularly successful one that more than made up for his last failure at Bell Tree Tower, in Kaito's opinion – and was basking in the afterglow on the roof of the new art gallery in Haidou (it _had_ ended up as a heist location).

There was the click of the rooftop access door opening and footsteps approaching. Kaito didn't even bother checking who it was – he'd already changed back into his civilian clothes and sent all incriminating evidence off with Jii, who had long since gone home, so he wasn't particularly worried about being discovered – choosing instead to continue studying the smattering of stars over the sky.

As a result, he startled a little when Shinichi sat down next to him, smiling sunbeams and kittens and rainbows at him. "Great job tonight, Kid."

"I'm out of uniform, tantei-kun." Kaito frowned, trying not to look too much like he wanted to press Shinichi up against a wall and kiss him senseless. "I'm not exactly Kid at the moment."

He didn't miss the way Shinichi's eyes widened a millimeter and he ducked his head.

"Kaito," Shinichi mumbled, quiet enough that Kaito almost missed it, and Kaito had to smile, because Shinichi really was too adorable. When he wasn't being annoying and snarky, at least.

"That's it," Kaito grinned, and reached out to ruffle his hair.

Predictably, Shinichi ducked out of his grip, squawking unhappily. "I'm not six anymore, Kaito!" he whined, and Kaito shook his head.

"You'll always be six to me, my dear tantei-kun!"

And then Kaito actually witnessed Shinichi _pouting_. Seriously. His bottom lip stuck out and everything. Kaito considered himself blessed by the gods. He was witnessing art in motion or a living masterpiece or the eighth wonder of the world or something equally sappy and gross. Kaito probably could've died happy at that moment.

Until Shinichi peered up at him from beneath his thick, unfair eyelashes and said, still pouting, "Have I mentioned how much I despise you sometimes, _darling_?"

 _Ugh_. Never mind. The gods hated him, clearly.

Swallowing thickly, Kaito glanced down into his lap. He could feel the beginnings of a blush working up his neck. "Could you –" He cleared his throat loudly. "Could you not call me by pet names?"

He knew it had been the wrong thing to say the moment Shinichi suddenly looked far too interested. "Oh? You don't like it when I call you pet names, handsome?" he purred, and _shit_ was he moving closer?

"Seriously, stop," Kaito squeaked. He probably looked like an overripe, perspiring tomato. Just the image he wanted to show the guy he was sort of desperately in love with.

"What if I don't want to, _love_?" Shinichi dragged the last word out for what felt like several small eternities and possibly a few decades.

Groaning, Kaito covered his face, although he parted his fingers over his eyes so he could glare at Shinichi through them. "You _suck_ ," he tried, weakly. "I don't need this from you." He flapped a hand. "Go away."

"Who would've thought _pet names_ did it for the great Kaitou Kid," Shinichi beamed delightedly, somehow both radiant and the worst person ever. He leaned in closer, breath ghosting over Kaito's hands. " _Sweetheart_."

Kaito made an inarticulate sound. He was struck by a strong desire to move to Morocco and never see Shinichi again. "I _hate_ you."

"No, you don't, _beautiful_." Shinichi was most definitely smirking.

"Okay, fine, I don't," Kaito grumbled, mashing his face even harder against his hands. "In fact, it's kind of the opposite. Unfortunately." The moment the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to scream. _Good going, Kaito, admit you're totally in love with him! What a way to end your friendship!_ He sighed. Morocco was looking better and better.

There was a short, uncomfortable pause, and then Shinichi reached down. His hands encircled Kaito's wrists easily. "Hey."

Groaning, Kaito lifted his face. "I really don't need this, please, could you go be disgusted at me somewhere else –"

He didn't get a chance to finish, because Shinichi was kissing him, gentle and comfortable with his hands clutching reverently at Kaito's, and it was the most perfect thing Kaito had ever experienced and maybe he wouldn't move to Morocco after all.

They broke apart a moment later, Shinichi resting his forehead against Kaito's. Kaito exhaled shakily, watching his breath ruffle bits of Shinichi's hair. He could feel Shinichi's thumb rubbing circles over the inside of his left wrist.

"Babe," Shinichi murmured, and Kaito immediately turned bright red and began spluttering.

"I will never get tired of that, I swear," Shinichi remarked, all shit-eating grins, and Kaito shoved him away.

"I don't know why I even bother," he muttered. One of his hands was still intertwined with Shinichi's. Shinichi had warm, soft hands. Nice hands.

Shinichi smiled indulgently. "Sure." They both knew what he really meant.

* * *

 **In case it wasn't blatantly obvious by now, I have a really big thing for pet names. Specifically, Shinichi using pet names. On Kaito.** **I know. It's a real problem. If any of you have support groups to recommend, please do.**

 **Anyway, if you somehow managed to enjoy this, please consider dropping me a review! See you all soon, my lovelies! - Luna**


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